# why is the kfc double down so expensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305 "2010-04-16T04:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/21 "2010-04-16T16:21:17Z")
I think they missed the boat on this one. It would have made more sense to offer it during the height of the Atkins Diet craze. _Some_ fast-food customers aren’t particularly price-conscious; they just want to treat themselves to a convenient meal they’ll enjoy. The higher-end “indulgence” sandwiches are aimed at these customers. Even so, I suspect the profit margins on these sandwiches are lower than on fries and soft drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/22 "2010-04-16T16:23:24Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Still, $5.99 for just the sandwich or whatever does seem like it’s at least a dollar or two more than the usual and customary fast food sandwich. I got the impression from upthread that $5.99 was the NYC price. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/23 "2010-04-16T16:27:14Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think they missed the boat on this one. It would have made more sense to offer it during the height of the Atkins Diet craze. Not good on Atkins, the breading on it pushes it way over the carb limits, and that’s 2 patties worth of breading. Transfat is also n/g, though I don’t know if they still use it. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/24 "2010-04-16T16:31:53Z")
I took my team out for lunch Tuesday and we all got one. One of the guys got the grilled, the rest of us got the fried. My impression: meh. It was okay, but like **Brandus** said upthread: I’d rather get two chic-a-filet sammiches for the price of this. It wasn’t bad, sure, but like I was pointing out to someone who was just aghast over this thing: it’s just a chicken sandwich, _without_ the bread, and _with_ an extra piece of chicken. It’s really, really not as outlandish as people are making it out to be. Burger places have had double and triple patty sandwiches for years and no one bats an eye. I bet if you told them they could sell a double burger sandwich without the bread and market it as something special, they’d be all over it. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/25 "2010-04-16T17:35:22Z")
Kinda’ like the McDonalds “Mac SnackWrap”, basically a Big Mac minus the triple-bun, and wrapped in a flatbread wrap ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/26 "2010-04-16T19:53:12Z")
Taco Bell’s [answer](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/taco-town/229053/) to KFC’s Double Down. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/27 "2010-04-16T20:29:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Taco Bell’s [answer](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/taco-town/229053/) to KFC’s Double Down. I want one. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/28 "2010-04-16T20:33:38Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Kinda’ like the McDonalds “Mac SnackWrap”, basically a Big Mac minus the triple-bun, and wrapped in a flatbread wrap I rarely go to McDonald’s but I went yesterday because I forgot my lunch and noticed that. How exactly is the burger part of it… done? I mean, is it… like a patty in there? I like the Big Mac flavor for the special sauce and all, and I don’t understand why I can’t get a sandwich that’s got more stuff on it but NOT ALL THAT MEAT GOOD GOD THAT’S THE PART OF A MCDONALD’S BURGER YOU DON’T WANT! I usually get the regular cheeseburger, and everybody acts like it’s bizarre not to get something with two nasty-ass patties. So, what configuration is the snack wrap meat in? ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/29 "2010-04-16T20:50:54Z")
How messy is thissupposed to be? Are you supposed to hold it in napkins while eating? Dumb idea. I rarely go there, and only for the original bucket of chicken occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/30 "2010-04-16T22:03:25Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I like the Big Mac flavor for the special sauce and all, and I don’t understand why I can’t get a sandwich that’s got more stuff on it but NOT ALL THAT MEAT GOOD GOD THAT’S THE PART OF A MCDONALD’S BURGER YOU DON’T WANT! > … My kid came home the other night with a meat-eatin’ grin, and announced that he just discovered that you can ask for Big Mac Sauce on… anything. He held up a Chicken Filet sandwich that smelled like a luscious Big Mac… It was the pinnacle of fast food goodness–for a dollar-six with tax. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/31 "2010-04-16T22:19:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > The two for $1 hotdogs at Circle K are what I have when I’m willing to reward the little lady for her birthday. > > GAWD. She pretty much HAS to put out after that! ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/32 "2010-04-16T22:22:12Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Sounds more like you’re broke, than I’m particularly rich, buddy. > > Still, $5.99 for just the sandwich or whatever does seem like it’s at least a dollar or two more than the usual and customary fast food sandwich. Oh no, you must be hella rich if you can afford a six dollar meal. Do you donate some of that wealth to charity? > [@tr0psn4j](#): > > She pretty much HAS to put out after that! There’s my brah. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/33 "2010-04-16T22:24:50Z")
I had one today. I took the Grilled combo. It was 6.99 for the “sandwhich” medium Pepsi and potato wedges. In Atlanta. Given that it is two pieces of chicken, I think its fair. I mean, you are paying for double the meat, it is not going to be a cookie-cutter price point. It’s not that bad. It’s like a sit down restaurant chicken lasagna or some other italian dish. It was good food, amazing that, that taste comes from a fast food restaurant. I heard Sodium was an issue, but I think it is the sauce they use, not the chicken. > [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > This is pretty much why I don’t go to KFC. > > Attention, KFC: you are a fast food restaurant. You sell crappy-ass chicken. The average price of various crappy-ass foods varies a bit depending on location, but here’s a rule of thumb: if you are a fast food restaurant, and one or more of your single-person meal combos runs into double digits after tax, YOU ARE WRONG. > > Arby’s, I’ve got my eye on you. Don’t get me started on the $5.01 combos. Did anyone think this would go over well? [Oh, but if you saved your tray liner from your last visit, you can save a _ **whole** _ penny.] > [@Richie\_Incognito](#): > > It’s literally two chicken patties. > It retails for $4.99 at my local kfc. The other sandwiches are $3.99. > > How much is something like this supposed to cost? Again, I agree here, it is a new offering. I guess you could argue that we had similar constructs back when Atkins Diet was bigger, but I still think it is a new offering. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Taco Bell’s [answer](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/taco-town/229053/) to KFC’s Double Down. Heh. I Remember that, was one of the better newer SNL commercials. I thought you were going to go for a [real offering.](http://www.tacobell.com/menuitem/bacon-ranch-tortada) /Kiljoy Yum brans Owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, A&W, Long John Silvers, your first born. \*\* So I don’t think anything Taco Bell offers can be considered as an “Answer” to KFC, it would more than likely be supporting evidence. \*\* /Kiljoy ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/34 "2010-04-16T22:49:39Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I had to look it up… wtf is it? > > It looks like two pieces of meat with another piece of meat between them. > > … I’m intrigued. My personal theory is that someone came up with the idea to market a chicken cordon bleu meal. Then the product manager said “wait, what if we told people it was a sandwich?” And everyone said “You mean put it on a roll?” and the product manager said “no, it will be just two pieces of chicken with cheese, sauce and ham, but we’ll tell people it’s a sandwich and everyone will get excited and outraged about a sandwich with no bread and they’ll talk about it and we’ll get tons of free publicity even though it’s really just a chicken cordon bleu like any other, except it’s gross and unhealthy because we made it!” And they did. At the last minute someone changed the ham to bacon which was a good decision. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/35 "2010-04-17T00:14:06Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Not good on Atkins, the breading on it pushes it way over the carb limits, and that’s 2 patties worth of breading. Transfat is also n/g, though I don’t know if they still use it. [http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/zerotransfat.asp](http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/zerotransfat.asp) > [@](#): > > All of your KFC chicken products contain Zero Grams Trans Fat per serving. IIRC, as soon as transfat became the scapegoat de jour, KFC was among the first to dump it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/36 "2010-04-17T23:03:34Z")
> [@digs](#): > > My kid came home the other night with a meat-eatin’ grin, and announced that he just discovered that you can ask for Big Mac Sauce on… anything. He held up a Chicken Filet sandwich that smelled like a luscious Big Mac… > > It was the pinnacle of fast food goodness–for a dollar-six with tax. Oh my god. Are you serious? I could have had Big Mac sauce on my little cheeseburger all this time? Could I also have, like, tomatoes? Why doesn’t McDonald’s have a Whopper Junior, in other words? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305/37 "2010-04-17T23:45:45Z")
It’s so expensive because that’s what they can get people to pay for it. That’s how capitalism works. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-kfc-double-down-so-expensive/536305.md?page=1)